Ewha MD designed a comfortable pajama through crowdfunding.Photo provided by Ewha MD.

Ewha MD designed a sweatshirt with lettering, “What is your youth”. Photo provided by Ewha MD.

Since 2012, Career Development Center (CDC) has been promoting Ewha students’ autonomous activities by supporting career clubs. Unlike other clubs on campus, career clubs specifically focuses on career-related activities and profit-making. Ewha Voice took this opportunity to meet CDC to discuss how they support career clubs including Ewha MD, a fashion merchandising club, to know more about their activities. Currently, there are seven career clubs under CDC, each of which focuses on a different field of employment: marketing, education, merchandising, human resources, MICE industry, information security and consulting. CDC selected these areas based on their growth potential in the job market.

CDC supports for students’ autonomous activities through career clubs

“We support career clubs financially and spatially,” said An Yoon-jin, the manager of CDC. “For the financial part, we have a performance-based funding system. We distribute funds to each career club after closely examining their performance reports. The better their work is, the more financial support they get.”

CDC evaluates career clubs based on several factors, such as industry-university cooperation, prize performance, and performance review of internships. An further commented that every club gets financial support and that the evaluation is a relative standard.

“For the spatial part, we help ease the hassle of space rental process,” said Lim Kyoung-lee, assistant manager of CDC. “For example, when career clubs need a large space for an occasion like a joint conference, we help them borrow a vacant space on campus and guarantee their position in the rental process.”

Lim and An added that CDC gives certificates to career clubs and connects them with mentors when needed.

“The performance of career clubs so far is very good,” An concluded. “The groups are making great results. The fact that career clubs has not ended in the short run and has continued to operate is exactly what CDC hoped for.”

Ewha MD sparks new clothing trends

As one of the career clubs supported by CDC, Ewha Megatrend Director (MD) holds a select shop every summer, designing clothes on their own and promoting their products.

Jo Min-ji, the 6th co-president of Ewha MD, commented that since Ewha MD is a career club, they plan out every activity focusing on career and practical business concerns.

“As a career club for merchandising, our aim is to make a profit,” Jo explained. “With the profits earned from a select shop in the summer, we plan for the fall semester in advance. The profits serve as seed money for future projects.”

Last year, Ewha MD launched a pajama brand through crowdfunding conducted last fall semester. From design to marketing, every part of the process was done by Ewha MD. This brand-launching project was selected through a presentation competition. Through the project, club members have experienced what it is like to be a fashion merchandiser.

When asked about the support from CDC, Jo replied positively. She pointed out that CDC has made the rental process for using school facilities easier whenever Ewha MD needed a space and a tent to run an outdoor select shop on campus. Especially, spatial problem was solved by CDC while preparing the select shop in May.

They are currently working to reflect Ewha’s values such as feminism and equality in their products. Jo wishes Ewha MD to become a brand that has its own value, even without the label of Ewha.

“The name of Ewha is really precious and meaningful; however, I want people to know that Ewha MD has the potential to develop into a unique brand itself.”